This description relates to gas turbine engine powered aircraft, and, more particularly, to a method and system for fuselage protection and sound damping in an aircraft having an open rotor or turboprop engine.
At least some known aircraft are powered by gas turbine engines that include a nacelle surrounding a fan assembly configured to generate thrust for the aircraft. The nacelle extends from a position forward of the fan assembly axially aftward for some distance, typically aft of the fan assembly or core engine. The nacelle can be treated with acoustic panels to limit noise coming from the fan assembly, an impact armor system configured to retain fan blades liberated from the fan assembly during a flight event. However, other aircraft are powered by open rotor type gas turbine engines, such as, but, not limited to, turboprop engines. In such engines there is no nacelle to capture or deflect liberated blades or other debris ejected from the engine. The ejected debris then becomes an impact hazard for the aircraft.